Queen Elizabeth honours Pakistani volunteers with Commonwealth Points of Light Award
June 06, 2020
ISLAMABAD: Queen Elizabeth II honoured two Pakistani volunteers with a Commonwealth Points of Light Award during a phone call hosted by British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner, a statement from the High Commission Islamabad said Saturday.
The award to Huzaifa Ahmad (Co-Founder and CEO Rizq) and Syed Hassaan Irfan (Executive Director, Rizq), recognised their work providing food security to local communities, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
"The call with Her Majesty The Queen also marked National Volunteering Week in the UK, an annual celebration of the power and contribution of volunteering," it read.
Huzaifa and Hassaan run social enterprise Rizq, which started as a university project in 2015 aimed at ensuring a hunger free Pakistan by distributing excess food to the most vulnerable.
During the coronavirus pandemic and in the holy month of Ramadan, Huzaifa and Hassaan mobilised a network of over 3,000 volunteers to distribute over 2.2 million meals to across 23 cities.
In this regard, Co-founder and CEO Rizq, Huzaifa Ahmad said: "Food is a fundamental need. For every human to reach his or her true potential it is important for this basic right to be accessible, affordable and available."
"I want to thank the Commonwealth for recognising our efforts and honouring us with this award. I would like to dedicate it to our amazing volunteers and Rizq heroes."
Executive Director Syed Hassaan Irfan added: ‘We have more food than ever before yet more people than ever go hungry every day. We all have an individual responsibility to eliminate hunger – no one should go without a daily meal."
Irfan further said the award is a tribute to the people of Pakistan, the work of volunteers in Pakistan, and our strong tradition of helping each other.
Meanwhile, British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner CMG, said: “It was an honour to hear Her Majesty recognise Rizq’s remarkable work to tackle food insecurity. Moments like this are examples of the profoundly positive relations between the UK, Pakistan and Commonwealth”.
The award is given to outstanding individual volunteers who are making a change in their community, according to the official website.
UK Points of Light award was developed in partnership with the US programme and launched in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street in April 2014.
Since then hundreds of people have been named Points of Light by the prime minister, highlighting an enormous array of innovative and inspirational volunteering across the length and breadth of Britain.
